


Back to You

by angelboygabriel



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Gen, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, canonverse, mentions of Oklahoma!, post-Bastogne, romantic undertones, tw: brief suicidal thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 05:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13451511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelboygabriel/pseuds/angelboygabriel
Summary: The pass to visit Joe and Bill feels like the only blessing George has ever had in this whole goddamn war.





	Back to You

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE TW: there is a very brief (ambiguous) mention of George having a suicidal moment. However, Roe quickly soothes the situation. Please take care when reading if this type of thing is triggering for you.
> 
> Based purely on the actor portrayals.

 

George almost didn't catch the paper as it was shoved at his chest. He scrambled to grab the flimsy thing before it fell in the snow, and Doc Roe clapped his shoulder.

"Winters' orders." he said vaguely, and gave pause before adding with a grin, "Doc's too."

He ran off before George could ask what that meant.

George gingerly turned the sheet over and scanned its contents, heart suddenly pounding. He looked in the direction that Roe had gone, dumbfounded.

It was a pass to visit Joe in the hospital, then reconvene with the rest of the company later.

George didn't know how long he stood there staring at the paper, but it was long enough that Richard Winters' stilted, crisp cursive seared the lines into his brain.

_Discretionary pass for T-4 GEORGE H. LUZ to visit FIELD HOSPITAL FR4237 on accord of JOE TOYE by authorization of RICHARD WINTERS 506TH PARATROOPS REGIMENT to last for AS MUCH TIME NEEDED UP TO TWO WEEKS. Authorized by Battalion HQ._

"What's that?" Perconte asked as he plucked the paper out of George's gloved hands, toothbrush hanging precariously from his mouth. His features softened as he read and he handed it back when he was done.

They didn't say anything, but Perconte pulled him into a hug, which Luz willingly sagged into. "Better take care, Ado Annie. And I don't wanna see your ugly mug for at least a week, you hear me?" Frank said sternly and George rolled his eyes as they broke the embrace.

"Why, Perco, if I didn't know better, I'd say you ain't-a like me. Makin' a nice Oklahoma woman such as mahhh-self feel so unloved." he drawled in an exaggerated accent.

"Ooh, you got a nice strong Army man to do all the lovin' for me. I can hate you plenty." He shot over his shoulder with a laugh as he made his way back into the smoking ruins of Foy. George shook his head and began to make his way for Winters and Nixon's tent. Captain Winters was huddled into his coat, a map spread in front of him.

"Captain Winters?" he asked, and he turned around, confused before he recognized Luz. He looked at the paper in his hand and smiled at him.

"Hello, George. What can I do for you?" he asked, skirting around the table to stand in front of George as he blew on his hands.

"I don't... Sir, what is this?" he questioned, holding up the pass.

"It's me, allowing you, to visit an army hospital on the grounds of it being beneficial for your morale." he said carefully. "We're shipping you out today, but you'll have a special ride. I have no doubt you can find us again, but I don't want to see you nearby for some time." he added and George let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

Before he could mentally talk himself out of it, he hugged Winters tightly. He made a surprised sound, but hugged him lightly back before they stepped apart. He had a funny look on his face, and George was struck with the sudden memory of his father.

(He'd found out George had dropped out of school to pick up a job for the family. It was an accident, he'd walked into the grocer's George was the bag boy for, and they made eye contact. George had been frozen with embarrassment and fear. But his dad just clasped him close and breathed "meu filho." _My son_.)

"Get your things, George." Winters instructed as he turned back around.

George did as he was told and prepared to leave.

*

Anything not grey, wet, cold and dirty seemed so foreign and _wrong_ in this war. The soft yellow of the walls, the crisp white of the sheets and nurse's aprons seemed too harsh. George felt claustrophobic as he slid his pass to the secretary.

"Joseph Toye?" She asked as she looked over her glasses, but George was anxiously scanning the rows of beds.

"Yeah." he said distractedly.

Her voice stopped registering with George as he spotted a shock of black hair arguing with someone on the cot next to him. He started walking over, ignoring the call after him.

"Sorry." he muttered as he shoved past nurses and the man rolled his head over, catching sight of Luz. His eyes went wide.

"Georgie?" He gasped as Luz scrambled to run over and kneel by his bed. He threw his arms around Joe's neck and Joe grabbed back just as tightly, almost yanking him all the way on top of him.

"Joe." George sobbed into his shoulder.

The feeling of Joe's arms around him again was like seeing in color for the first time as they sat there, hugging and making a scene. George's breath slowed down as Joe ran a hand through his hair and he clung tighter for the feeling.

They rocked minutely side to side and savored the feeling of being alive and whole, Toye's hand stroking calmly.

"Damn. Get you two queers a room." the voice a bed over snarked. George looked up quickly, Joe's hands falling from his hair.

"Bill?!" he exclaimed, and rushed over to sit between the two beds to give his other friend a hug. He squatted on the floor and beamed at them.

"You have _no_ idea how glad I am to see your ugly mugs." he admitted with a smirk and Toye shook his head as he shut his eyes and stretched in the bed.

"You couldn't stay away if you fuckin' tried." he said lazily and George could practically hear the suggestive comment Bill was barely biting back.

"You're glad to see me too." He defended quickly, and Toye nodded before looking over at Luz. Their eyes lingered.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, take care of your boyfriend. Stop pretendin' you're interested in me. You can talk to ol' Wild Bill when you lovebirds are done." Guarnere laughed. George rolled his eyes at Bill, but nonetheless, turned his full attention to Joe's hospital bed.

"How are you doing?" George asked him quietly and Joe sighed.

"Shitty. I fuckin' hate it here, George. I miss you guys." he admitted. "But... why are _you_ here?" he asked.

"Winters gave me a pass to visit." he replied quickly.

Joe gave him a scrutinizing look.

"Why did he think you needed a pass?" he asked, and George looked down at their hands. He didn't realize they'd been holding each other's. Toye's fingers wrapped around his wrist and tightened.

"George." he said seriously.

( _Because he hadn't been able to breathe after he saw Joe. Because even though George had seen messed up things and death, nothing had fucked him up like this. Because he stumbled his way through Foy, and when all was done, he had held his gun with shaking hands and Doc had turned the barrel away from his chin gently with a terrified look in his eyes._ )

"I wasn't doing so hot." he said a little tersely and Joe bit his lip, his hand sliding up higher on George's arm. One of the nurses gave them a questioning look as she walked by, and Joe sighed.

"Okay. I wholly don't believe you, but I'm glad to see you nonetheless." Joe told him. George moved to pat his leg, but his stomach dropped as his hand hit the bed.

Toye forced a smile. "It's gone." he said shortly.

The nurse showed up with afternoon medication and Joe squeezed his hand before he took the small glass of water and pills. "Visiting hours are over after medication time." the nurse said pointedly as she looked at George.

George stood up uncomfortably, getting ready to leave as Joe's eyes bored into him.

Bill smacked George's thigh. "See ya later, Luz." he said with a grin, and George grinned right back, grasping hands in parting before George turned back to Joe.

"You'll come back tomorrow, right Luz?" Joe asked, and George paused.

"I'll always come back for you."

 


End file.
